Nigeria & Boko Haram militancy

Nigeria has been making moves against Boko Haram, which began an armed rebellion against the government in 2009. So far, nearly 20,000 people have died.

New Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari ordered an immediate shake-up with the heads of the army, navy, air force and his chief of defense staff replaced in an effort to re-energize the fight against Boko Haram.

In response, the militants have stepped up their attacks. Previous attacks like the one in Gamboru Ngala, where at least 300 residents were killed in a horrific 12-hour spree in May 2014, or the still infamous taking of hundreds of school girls in April that same year are still fresh in the memory.

There have been efforts to lift the army’s morale with thousands of troops reinstated, including at least 3,032 soldiers who had been dismissed for alleged indiscipline brought back into the military fold.

The militancy has now become a regional issue, having spilled over into Nigeria’s neighboring countries. Troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger have been battling the terrorists in recent months. Will new measures work to stamp out the Takfiri group or is it a case of too little, too late?